This about enjoying life to the full with my lovely partner- I scream my head off here so I can pretend to be coping when I have to. MS has robbed my darling of the use of much of her body but has increased our determination to share our love to the full and get as much fun out this world as we can glean. Sometimes it all gets to much so I need to scream about it.

Thursday, March 26, 2009

An old enemy

When I was a teenager I was under threat from a gang of skinheads for many years. I have a scar on my head from their attention. My crime was having black friends and listening to reggae music. They provoked me and my friends to hitting back and I was involved in some incidents of violence. We even trained ourselves in combat skills to protect ourselves. Their leader was a hateful stupid man and I hated him.Funny to hear yesterday just how shit things are for him. He is in jail for life and his former gang members wish to kill him on his release. His partner is sick and in bed all day with no one to keep her company. Care workers come twice a day to meet her needs. They are not nice people but when I think of the shattered existence they have called a life my heart goes out to them. We all make choices and have to live with the consequences. Last time I saw him he decided to attack the James Connelly Republican Marching Band on the Bloody Sunday commemoration. That was not one of his better choices. I guess he has run out of options now. Stupid man.

6 comments:

Angry, bitter people have it so rough in so many ways. I am not saying most don't bring it on themselves(though some are truly insane and know no other way), but I feel a lot of compassion for certain people who treated me cruelly. They can't get outside of their own hatred. I don't hate anyone. I don't feel that sort of bitterness for anyone or anything, for which I am very lucky. ~Mary

Yeah Steve I would never revisit this acquaintanceship apart from following his trial and the occasional bit of gossip coming from from England. He was first item news when he went down and I know some one who is still in touch with the old neighbourhood. I do feel genuinely sorry for the man and I know the pain he has brought to his family. I believe in redemption (not divine but intellectual)and I like to think that if he was drowning I would pull him out- but I may find giving him the kiss of life more of a challenge.

When BR and I moved to Baton Rouge in 2001, our real estate agent was very devoted to animal rescue. Not only dogs and cats, but horses, squirrels, and even injured birds.

She took us to see a house that hadn't been lived in in a while. When we reached the back yard, she screamed in horror. There were dozens of frogs in the swimming pool -- many dead. She immediately grabbed the skimmer and started pulling the live frogs to safety. As she pulled the 4th, then 5th, then 6th frog out, she saw the 1st, then 2nd, then 3rd frog jump back in.